NewRo firefighters show off soapbox cars on 'Today'

New Rochelle firefighter Rich Bongiorno talks about his SoapBox cars used on The Today Show to help promote the Daytona 500 at Fire Station #5 in New Rochelle Feb. 22, 2017.
Carucha L. Meuse / The Journal News

New Rochelle's firefighters brought soapbox cars to Manhattan to be used by The Today Show with Carson Daly (front), Dale Earnhart, Jr. and Matt Lauer (back) in Manhattan Feb. 21.(Photo: Photo courtesy of Valerie DeNigris)

New Rochelle firefighter Rich Bongiorni thought there was a mistake when he received a call from an NBC producer regarding a "Today" show segment that would feature race car driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.

But it was no fluke.

Bongiorni — like Earnhardt Jr. — has years of racing experience, though it's not with motorized vehicles. He's been head of the annual New Rochelle Soap Box Derby since it returned to the city 15 years ago. Knowing that the fire department had soap box cars at-the-ready, NBC reached out to Bongiorni to bring some cars and ramps down for Tuesday morning's show to help promote Sunday's Daytona 500.

"They had Dale Earnhardt Jr. there, and we had some props for them to use," Bongriorni said. "We figured it was a good opportunity for us."

With just a week to gather those props, the firefighters worked to assemble two soapbox cars that would fit an average adult — in this case, NBC's Matt Lauer and Carson Daly — and customize the cars for a national stage.

One city firefighter had frames for the adult cars, which he completed by adding wood paneling and a mahogany steering wheel. Another firefighter, Greg Rigos, designed the two cars: A blue and white No. 88 car representing Earnhardt Jr.'s NASCAR number, and a car tagged with the "Today" show logo and New Rochelle Fire Department decals.

Late Monday night, a few firefighters and their families loaded a trailer at New Rochelle Fire Station #5, where about two dozen of the motorless soapbox cars are stored, and headed to Rockefeller Center in Manhattan to set up for Tuesday's show.

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New Rochelle firefighter Rich Bongiorni is photographed with SoapBox cars used on The Today Show to help promote the Daytona 500.(Photo: Carucha L. Meuse/The Journal News)

Fire Capt. Andy Sandor brought his children Hope and Tyler along for the experience. The Sandor children have participated in the New Rochelle Soap Box Derby since they were each seven years old.

“It’s a lot of fun and it’s a good experience, especially as you get older," said Hope Sandor, 14. "I’ve been doing it for so many years and it gets more and more exciting each year.”

With the help of White Plains resident Dave Satenstein, Bongiorni returned the derby to New Rochelle in 2002, 30 years after its last running. He registered the event with the internationally-sanctioned Soap Box Derby, which allows people ages seven to 20 to compete across three divisions, in classes of 200, 240 and 255 pounds. Each car is weighted evenly to assure fair competition.

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Hope Sandor, 14 of North Salem sits in the SoapBox car at Fire Station #5 in New Rochelle.(Photo: Carucha L. Meuse/The Journal News)

The winners of each division at the New Rochelle derby — held in early June — are sent to the All-American Soap Box Derby World Championship Race in Akron, Ohio, every July. The New Rochelle Firefighters Association, which runs the local event, helps fund some of the travel.

“We have some kids out there that are seven, eight years old and they’re sitting there all shaky," Andy Sandor said. "Then they go down and you can just see when they get to the bottom they’re like ‘Wow, I did it.’”